Hi crafty friends!I am in love with a dress Anna Paquin's character Sookie Stackhouse wears in an episode of True Blood, and am hoping some of you could help me find a way to make something similar. It's a haltertop sundress with a sweetheart neckline in red and white. Some images of the dress are below:

Ha! I wish I had her body - the most I can ask for is the dress Thank you so much for the tips! I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do, but when/if it all comes together, I'll be sure to show you!!

Actually, I have already made a muslin for this dress based off an 80s prom dress pattern (with modifications: built in bra since Ms. Paquin is a small B I would say and I am a large D, also I legnthened it a little to just past my knees instead of just above) If it works out, I will be all over posting a tutorial

My only key piece of advice is either interface the bodice with some serious interfacing, or sew featherweight boning into the lining. Unless you have washboad abs or a wardrobe team on hand to adjust your dress, a low waist dress is going to bunch in bad ways after a half an hour of wear.

The key is the fabric, I have had very little luck finding a suitable fabric. It would seem they are trying to evoke the red-work quilting that was popular during and after the Civil War (or my nerd tastic mind just went there on it's own) However most red work is smaller than the pattern on Sookie's dress. Also, her skirt is pretty full (you can see when Bill whisks Sookie up at the end of the episode) so finding a fabric with lots of movement without looking like...well, an 80s prom dress...is a complex endeavor.

Wow Dr. Ruby, thank you so much for the suggestions! I'm with you on the large bust, and am definitely lacking in the washboard abs department - interfacing/boning are a must.I'm so excited to see what you come up with! I haven't even started seeking out the fabric, I guess if all else fails, Spoonflower might work...Thank you again!